[Third Person POV]
Gwen leaned casually against her work desk, her arms folded as she watched Peter spin lazily around in her chair. The chair creaked in protest as he went around and around, blowing raspberries each time he passed her direction like a mischievous child seeking attention.
"Having fun?" Gwen asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
"Immensely," Peter replied between spins, clearly unbothered by her unimpressed tone.
Before Gwen could say more, the familiar whirr of energy filled the lab. A swirling portal ignited into existence at the far end of the room. The glowing ring pulsed with silver energy.
Both Gwen and Peter turned just in time to see Felicia step through, her trademark smirk firmly in place. Behind her, Lydia staggered out with far less grace, her eyes wide and posture instinctively crouched as to not touch the edge of the portal. The older woman blinked several times, adjusting to the bright, sterile light of Gwen's lab.
"Yeah, that is still weird," Lydia said after a moment, straightening up. "It's definitely going to take me a while to get used to that."
Once the portal shimmered and vanished behind them, Lydia finally had the chance to take in her surroundings. Her jaw slackened slightly as she scanned the expanse of the lab—sleek chrome walls, suspended monitors, holographic displays projecting molecular structures midair while spider-bots scuttled across the walls.
"Wow," Lydia breathed, letting out a long whistle. "You weren't kidding, Felicia. This place looks like something straight out of the future. I feel like I just walked on the set of a sci-fi movie."
Felicia smirked and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Sorry we were late," she said nonchalantly. "This one was having trouble finding clothes that fit her thick thunder thighs and that big bubble butt of hers."
Lydia froze mid-step, her face instantly flushing red as she turned toward her daughter with wide eyes. "Felicia!" she hissed, mortified. "Do you have to say that out loud?"
Felicia simply shrugged, utterly unapologetic. "I'm just stating facts."
Peter chuckled, unable to resist joining in. "Kat, you were supposed to bring your mother, not your sister. What happened?"
Felicia turned to him slowly, her claws sliding out with an audible snikt. "How about I claw off your dick?" she said in a dangerously sweet tone. "Would that be enough of an explanation for you?"
Peter raised both hands instantly in mock surrender, though the grin on his face didn't fade.
Lydia couldn't help but laugh. "He sure knows how to win brownie points," she teased, giving Felicia a playful nudge with her elbow as they walked.
While the banter carried on, Gwen quietly activated her wristwatch. A soft hum filled the air as a thin beam of blue light projected outward, scanning Lydia from head to toe. The beam flickered methodically, tracing every inch of her body with precision.
"Whoa—uh, what's that?" Lydia asked, blinking rapidly.
"Relax," Gwen said calmly, eyes focused on the data scrolling across her watch's holographic display. "Just a routine scan. I want to make sure everything's stable after the serum injection. How have you been feeling since this morning? Anything off—dizziness, nausea, pain?"
Lydia shook her head, still fascinated by the light weaving across her skin. "Actually, no. Quite the opposite, really. I feel… amazing. Better than I've felt in years, honestly. A little hungry, maybe—but that's probably because we didn't have time for breakfast."
"Feeling hungry is completely normal," Gwen assured her, tapping her watch again. A larger holographic screen appeared in front of her, displaying streams of vital data and biometric readings. "All your vitals are within the expected range. The serum's performing exactly as intended—no adverse effects, no instability. That's excellent news."
Lydia's eyes widened. "You got all that from a single scan?" she asked incredulously. "Don't you need to, I don't know, draw blood or do an X-ray, maybe an MRI or something?"
Gwen chuckled softly. "No need for any of that. Thanks to Peter's upgrades, our scanners are state-of-the-art. They can analyze everything to a cellular level in seconds. It's a huge step forward from traditional methods—and useful if we ever have to deal with someone who has, say, impenetrable skin."
Peter grinned at the subtle praise, hopping off the chair. The group started toward the adjoining corridor that led to the training section of the lab. Lydia walked a few steps behind, her eyes darting from one piece of equipment to another in fascination. Every surface seemed alive with energy—displays flickering, servo-arms moving with mechanical precision, and spider-bots skittering across the ceiling.
Suddenly, one of the bots hovered directly in front of her, its small robotic limbs clutching something. Lydia froze, unsure how to react until the bot extended a claw and offered her a wrapped protein bar.
"Uh… thanks?" she said uncertainly, taking it from the bot's tiny grip. She glanced over at the others for explanation.
Gwen started to explain with a knowing smile. "Those bars are high-calorie protein supplements designed for enhanced metabolism. Peter and MJ usually need them the most, but they'll help you too. One should keep you full for several hours."
"I see, thank you," Lydia said, surprised at how good the bar tasted as she bit into it. The flavor was immediately comforting, like chocolate and toasted nuts with a hint of something citrusy.
"Enhance tastebubs," Gwen said with a grin when she saw Lydia's reaction. "We have to make things actually pleasant, otherwise we have problems eating them."
They moved down the corridor and arrived at the training space. Felicia escorted Lydia into the changing room, then returned wearing an unstable molecule-fiber suit that hugged her lithe frame. When Lydia stepped back out, the training area looked like a testing ground from a futuristic gladiator arena: reinforced targets, motion-capture rigs, grappling posts, weighted dummies, and an array of machines specifically designed to measure force, speed, and endurance.
"All right," Peter said, leaning casually against a heavy punching machine. He tapped the thick padded faceplate with the heel of his hand. "First test: strength. Don't hold back. This thing's basically indestructible—built to take literal tons of impact."
Lydia studied the padded target. Her feet were planted a little too close together; her shoulders rose nervously. "Okay, if you say so…" she murmured, raising her fist in what could only be described as a girlish jab. Her stance looked uncertain and awkward—more polite than powerful.
"STOP! STOP! STOP!" Felicia barked, throwing her hands up as if shielding her eyes from a crime. "Mom! What the hell are you doing?"
Lydia blinked, genuinely confused. "What? What did I do wrong?"
Felicia's face scrunched with equal parts disbelief and horror. "What is that punch? You're embarrassing me. Holy hell."
"What's wrong with the way I punch, huh?!" Lydia snapped defensively—she hated being put on the spot and hated being laughed at more.
"Jesus Christ, come here," Felicia ordered, stepping forward to correct Lydia's form. She grabbed Lydia's arm gently yet firmly, aligning her feet, dropping her shoulders, and turning her hips into the motion. "I fear the day you get into a street fight and you embarrass our household by throwing a punch like that. I would disown you as my mother." She shook her head, a flash of exaggerated drama that made even Gwen snicker.
"You think that just because you're with your friends you can talk to me like that? It doesn't matter how I throw a punch—I'll still lay your ass out, superhero or not," Lydia retorted, but she allowed Felicia to reposition her without argument.
"Just throw the goddamn punch," Felicia muttered through gritted teeth, stalking back to lean beside Peter and Gwen, who were trying very hard not to laugh outright.
Lydia squared her shoulders, planting her weight on her back foot. She twisted her hip, tightened her core, and launched her fist forward in a fast, precise strike. The impact rolled through her knuckles and into the padded face of the machine with a sound like a distant cannon blast. The padding took the shock, and the safety dampeners kept the room from shaking apart.
Numbers on the machine's holo-display climbed like a rocket, a blur of digits leaving only afterimages in Lydia's vision. The counter pinged and settled.
The Machine stopped at 118k pounds, which was the equivalent of 59 tons.
Lydia stared. "Woah…" she breathed, astonishment plain on her face.
"Again," Peter instructed, as Gwen quickly jotted the reading on a tablet.
Lydia grinned, surprised at how addictive seeing those numbers rise was. She pulled back, let out a controlled grunt, and snapped another punch. The display surged faster this time.
121k pounds, the machine reported, Equivalent: 60.5 tons.
"Nice," Lydia said, watching the numbers as if they were personal trophies. Her chest felt warm with pride.
"One last time," Peter said. Gwen finished logging the second result and stepped a pace closer.
Lydia's jaw locked. She squinted as if the pad was suddenly her enemy. Her cat-like eyes narrowed to thin slits; every muscle in her arm and core hummed with focused energy. She inhaled deep, feeling the air fill her lungs like fuel. Then she drove her whole body forward, channeling everything into that single decisive strike.
The numbers climbed so fast they blurred at the edges. The display soared past her previous best and didn't stop until the machine emitted a joyful chime.
"132k pounds, it read crystal clear. Equivalent: 66 tons.
Lydia whooped, a triumphant, slightly roaring laugh that filled the room.
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